Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX: BSX) (“Blackstone” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that His Excellency, Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam visited Son La Province and met with Son La Provincial Peoples Committee and toured the Company’s mining and refining projects (“Ta Khoa Project”) in Northern Vietnam to highlight the key role the Ta Khoa project plays in the global transition to net zero.
Blackstone was invited to join the official meeting between the Ambassador and the Chairman of the Son La Provincial Peoples Committee (“Son La PPC”), Hoang Quoc Khanh in which the two discussed the current status of the Ta Khoa Project and the importance to both countries to develop this globally significant project. Both the Ambassador and the Chairman confirmed that the Australian Government and the Son La PPC are very supportive of the project.
Figure 1: His Excellency, Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam formally meets Chairman of the Son La Provincial Peoples Committee, Hoang Quoc Khanh
The Ambassador, accompanied by Son La PPC, Vice Chairman, Dang Ngoc Hau visited the Ban Phuc Nickel Mine (“BPNM”) with the first official duty to open the Blackstone Mining Information Centre. The Company together with the Son La PPC agreed that more effort was needed to promote the benefits of mining and to show case Australia’s high standard mining practices’ that are applied to the Ta Khoa Project. The Company intends to operate mine site tours for all stakeholders to promote the benefits of mining, show case high environmental standards and educate on the Ta Khoa Project.
Figure 2: Opening of the Blackstone Information Centre
The Ambassador then undertook a site visit of the Ban Phuc Nickel Mine, inspecting;
- the impressive core shed, the store for over 130,000 metres of core,
- the lower portal and existing BPNM concentrator, and
- the pilot plant facility which undertook the metallurgical testwork for the definitive feasibility study (“DFS”).
Figure 3: Site visit of the Ban Phuc Nickel Mine
The visit was concluded with a boat trip from BPNM in Bac Yen District to the Ta Khoa Refinery location in Phu Yen District. The Company was able to highlight to the Ambassador and the Son La PPC representatives the huge benefit of using the Da River for managing logistics. Barging is not only a lower cost transportation method, it also enables a lower carbon footprint and most importantly it eliminates the interaction with the community which has been deemed a high risk activity.
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